When I first heard Visitations? grandiose self-titled debut last year I must admit I was a bit nonplussed. However, what had appeared to be an amateurish mish mash of child-like folk, stumbling cautionary tales, dark gospel, and tongue-in-cheek homage to 1950?s science fiction film themes, ultimately revealed itself as a cracked masterpiece, a utopian space opera set primarily in the dense Maine woods. To be sure, there were moments of earnest idealism, but these were leavened by a sly sense of humor.
In stark contrast to the debut?s bizarre amalgam of sub-minute noisy interludes and ecstatic jams, "I Wish We Could Look Into The Future" contains four longer untitled pieces recorded live that give a very different view into the band?s workings. Live, the band builds hopeful, uplifting, and mystical dances around the campfire out of overlapped chanted and moaned vocalizations, hypnotic guitars, jaw harp, synthesizers, and whatever percussion is at hand. In general, the playing is simultaneously more expansive and focused than on the debut and the sound quality of these recordings amply displays the cohesiveness the band has developed.
On the first track, meandering chants, recorder, jaw harp and guitar materialize slowly out of the mist while a pulsating synthesizer swims in and out eventually emerging as a blissed out sunburst of warm yellow light. The later intrusion of creaking boards around the edges of the cozy center locates an ominous presence beyond the light of the fire. One gets the feeling that there is an evil lurking out there that can only be warded off with swirling ritualistic incantations.
The second track expands and contracts at first buoyantly recalling an ?untroubled? walk through the woods but gradually dissipating in an ever growing cloud of unease. By now listeners can discern a theme of happiness constantly under threat by an impinging sense of doom. The third track makes this theme explicit. A gorgeously hovering theremin introduces a hymn to the alienation people can feel when confronted with the horrors of the modern world and an attempt to offer reassurance through a philosophy of connection with others. If at times the lyrics contain clumsily expressed sentiments (?try to just love everything?, ?every one just needs to have a little faith in themselves?), it?s also obvious that even when Visitations gravitate towards platitudes, they arrive there by way of good intentions.
The final track continues Visitations mystical fascination with our purported extraterrestrial origins. With lyrics like ?We are sent here as free beings and with that notion we grow/We landed here for love so many years ago?, they replace the peculiar concept of original sin with a more attractive state of grace. The entire song reinforces the premise that ?free beings? will and should choose love over hatred and distrust. As quaint and na?ve as that may seem, the band makes a compelling case for surrendering oneself to its simplicity. The song ends with a charming soft-spoken ghost story of sorts where a young girl overcomes her fear of the unknown to fulfill her destiny. Even though its chilling (albeit a bit trite) ending contains a meditation on legacy and remembrance, like the best parables it never seems unduly forced. After listening to it, you too may be tempted to tell it the next time you gather around the campfire to sing away the shadows. 8/10 --
Steve Rybicki (19 September, 2005)
